Purity of an Element
by blackstarlight17
Summary: Sakura and friends thought it was over after sealing and transforming the Void/Hope. However, a new threat is looming over them, one no one expected. They also discover that some of them have a new form of power, one greater than the Star Cards combined. With this new threat, will they have the strength needed to stop it, or will chaos swallow them whole?
1. Prologue

This was actually my very first fanfic, and since I got one major one completed, I figured I'd try to actually do something and get my other older ones done first before starting more new ones. Hopefully I'll be successful in getting a lot done.

But yeah, first ever fanfic, and it's a crossover of Pokemon and Cardcaptors mostly. It'll have other crossovers, but more minor that'll appear throughout.

Enjoy the prologue.

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Far as time had been recorded, a kingdom once reigned in an island filled with purity and peace.

Each section the island bore true purity, each being a kingdom with a single ruler watching over alongside their guardian. Each one who reigned was close to one another, maintaining peace for themselves and those dearest to them.

Where the forest was most lush, a single tree growing to its peak above all else, a child reigned, naming herself queen of all flora. Alongside her reigned a mysterious fairy that made plants grow rapidly, creating new trees in matter of days than years.

Where a lake was most pure, a woman reigned from within a hidden cavern underneath, naming herself queen of all aqueous. Alongside her reigned what appeared large beast, its power exceeding the queen's by means purifying tainted water where sorrow was at its peak.

Wherever lightening struck true in high mountains, never harming life without reason, a man reigned to guide the bolts, naming himself king of all voltaic. Alongside him reigned a beast that was rumored to sense life in danger through the lightening, bringing its loyal master to their aid.

A volcano constantly burning but never erupting, a man dwelled near its peak, naming himself king of blaze. He would use his powers to quell any flames that burned without reason, protecting life from harm or would use them to burn dying forests down for new life to be reborn. Alongside him reigned a beast rumored to bring forth fire with a mighty roar, volcanos born when old ones are crushed and vanquished over time.

A man wandered about, testing the strength of man and beast, naming himself king of prowess. Alongside him reigned a beast rumored to change form at will, but was strongest and most pure as is.

A man tended to graves on moonless nights, burying and mourning all who pass, be it man, beast, or plant, naming himself king of mortality. Alongside him was a bird of darkness who's cries for the departed would make the darkness become thicker, no amount of light piercing it.

A woman wandered about, always appearing whenever new life was renewed on brightest days, naming herself queen of vitality. Alongside her was a beast whose innocence and naiveté is told to bring smiles to children and be the cause for the sun to shine at its brightest.

A man spoke to the dead, whispering kind words to them, passing messages to the living they were safe, naming himself king of essence. Alongside him was rumored to be an insect who would speak to the departed beasts in place of its master, soothing them as much as the living.

In high mountains where the wind blew strongest, a man would send calls out to the other kingdoms, acting as their messenger, naming himself king of current. He is the only king to have no beast of any form alongside him, rumor stating that it has yet to be born or had died protecting its master one day.

In other parts of mountains, where snow always fell, a man and his beast reigned, careful to make sure avalanches never occur, that snow never fell excessive without reason. The man who lived in the coldest parts named himself king of rime.

Rumors once spread that he had once been the child or once a prodigy student of the queen of aqueous due to their similar powers. Yet, he is viewed as a king regardless, his position staying true and pure as the snow that fell daily.

Where soil was most fertile or most fragile to quakes, a woman reigned, naming herself queen of loam. Unlike the other kings and queens, she was the only one with three beasts, each helping with maintaining control over the soil.

One controlled its fertility, to ensure a bountiful harvest in later months. Another controlled the destructiveness of the ground, ensuring no life was in danger. The third beast's job was to predict the future or view the past regarding the soil's status, whether it needs to become more fertile or is at risk of falling apart.

For years the kings and queens worked in harmony, combining their strengths and weaknesses to ensure the happiness of their people.

The king of essence would hear the plights of the dead, leading information to the king of death if he heard of a body left unburied or its grave damaged for reasons unknown. The king of mortality would ensure any woman, human or beast alike that carried life was truly snuffed out. If a chance it was alive, he would summon the queens and king of vitality, aqueous, and current to help save the unborn life.

If droughts plagued the land, the king of blaze would subdue any potential flames with help from the king of current and voltaic. From there, he would summon the king and queen of rime and aqueous to fill the land with water and save their people.

However, out of all the kings and queens, the king of prowess was left to wander alone most of the time.

He had little reason to help, even if summoned to help with harvests alongside the queen of flora or move rubble from a landslide alongside the queen of loam.

Instead, he brooded over his position, wondering whether he has right to be king of something so pitiful.

He was vulnerable to all elements, including his own, while the others were vulnerable to all but the element they represented. The closest to being the same as himself would be a handful such as Vitality, Mortality, and Essence.

He spoke to them about their positions, only having them respond with nothing but respect of the higher elements.

They stated that they need not invulnerability towards their own element if there is no reason for it.

_"Why be immune to the light and life, does that not defeat the purpose of living, being born anew after death?"_ the king of essence questioned with concern.

_"Why be immune to the spirits, does that not defeat the purpose of communicating, given the opportunity of being reborn into a new life?"_ the queen of vitality asked with genuine kindness.

"_Why be immune to death, does that not defeat the purpose of living full, trapped to watch those dear pass on, unable to join?"_ the king of mortality questioned solemnly.

The king of prowess could only grow angrier, ignoring the plights of his beast, instead decided to try and change things. He wanted to be immortal; he had no love for these kings and queens. No love for their beasts, not even for his own.

But in order to obtain what he wanted, he made his friendship with his beast false, a trait he mastered, tricking even the other kings and queens. All but two that is the kings of essence and current. Neither one of them were fools in life, one had spirits to communicate with for information to obtain or retell to others while the other used the wind to hear all around him.

He knew that they were the most threatening to his plans, so he needed to find a means to remove them first before going further. With careful precision, he studied them, wanting to discover their weaknesses and use it against them.

When none came, he decided a new approach. A true king and queen of their element can only be strongest if they put their heart into it. To test his theory, he lured the king of essence out alone.

To ensure that nothing went wrong, he gave his beast a simple to follow. The beast of prowess was to keep the beast of essence from following and interfering, no matter what. Blinded with love and adoration, the pure beast obeyed, not understanding what cruel intent his master had in mind.

With careful precision, the king of prowess followed his namesake, attacking, subduing the king of essence easily. To ensure victory, the traitorous king slammed his fist into the other's heart, crushing it with ease.

As he was about to withdraw his hand, he came upon an object inside, gaining curiosity as he wrapped his fingers around it, pulling it out. What he extracted was a beautiful jewel, resonating with wondrous energy and power. Recognizing it as the same power that belongs to the fallen king, the traitorous one discovered that this jewel is the source of all powers of essence. Therefore, it meant that every one of them had the same jewel inside their hearts, giving them such bountiful power and strength.

While most who suffered such a fatal blow would die, the fallen king continued to scream and cry in agony, his wound slowly healing.

The traitorous king only remained confused for a brief moment before realizing that the jewel, despite having been torn out of its master's body, still held a connection to him. To ensure a true victory for himself, he broke the king's neck, pocketing the jewel within his robes. The king of essence's beast finally arrived, having sensed its master's pain and agonizing death. However, before much could be done, the distraught beast had been subdued by the traitorous king's beast, knocking it unconscious.

Knowing he could not kill the beast, even with raw power alone, he fished through the dead king's robes for what he needed. He pulled out was a majestic sphere used to summon the beast if they had been recalled, restoring their strength if tired, using its powers to drag the dead king's beast inside, trapping it.

Finding a possible method to taking control of the kingdoms by disabling, even killing the kings and queens, he soon took out the king of current next. Despite not fearing of an attack, he still located the sphere to store it for the time being. He had known what happened to the beast of current, having long since died, a mysterious egg taking its place inside the sphere so that it may grow and hatch in some point in time.

The king and queen over vitality and mortality were soon attacked when they were in the middle of mourning the other two kings. Their beasts had been subdued and captured soon after their masters had their jewels ripped from their hearts before killed themselves at the hands of someone they once trusted.

The other kings and queens heard rumors of the others dying, leaving behind chaos as the people feared for their lives and for the harmony of their island.

However, none knew who was killing their friends, forced to step forward and gather together. The queen of aqueous attempted to bring the king of rime down, only to find his deceased body, his beast gone. The king of blaze attempted to locate the queen of loam, only to discover her mutilated body, her beasts gone as well.

A single connection was made in relation to all the bodies, blood covered their chests where their hearts beat, yet no visible wound could be found. Any other harm to the body was either due to struggles in the fight or what appear to be animal attacks from scratches and bite marks.

Soon only three remained, aqueus, blaze, and voltaic alongside their beasts to protect them and vice versa. Everyone else was dead, their beasts missing along with the spheres used to house them when tired

They stuck together, traveling as one, unable to maintain balance, the island falling into chaos. A solution had to be found soon or else everything they and their ancestors worked for would be for naught.

The king of prowess stayed as far as he could away, feigning death to throw them off from finding and discovering his intentions. He knew he would not be able to beat them, whether they were alone, in a group, or had their beast at their side or not.

These three were the strongest of the elements, the purest out of all of them, even considered the original elements before others came into existence. The traitorous king knew that the only way he could defeat them was to obtain more power and become stronger than them.

There was a problem with that plan however; the king of prowess was unable to fuse the stolen jewels into his body. Therefore, he couldn't take on the powers of the dead kings and queens, meaning he couldn't manipulate and control their beasts.

Instead, he decided to try something new that no one would expect, not even those he once called his friends. He turned to black magic, forsaking his own strength in favor of something more, his mind growing darker and hungrier for power.

He heard the rumors of what his beast was capable of, wanting to try such methods and find out if it were true. Some of the rumors he heard were that his beast was capable of changing form through the usage of stones filled with mystic power or through friendship at its highest during either the peak of day or of night.

He heard of other methods, but counting them all, it would be impossible to choose only one method to overpower the remaining elements. He wanted it all, even if it meant endangering the life of his beast and he claimed as a friend. He wanted his beast not only to have all forms, but wanted him to be powerful, vicious, willing to slaughter all on a simple command. The traitorous king wanted to ensure that he would remain as the only king, ruling all with no question.

Therefore, by using black magic, he uncovered a forbidden method to transform his beast into what he desired. It took years, but he mastered it, using the sinful magic, he was able to use all known the mystic methods to transform his beast. He worked meticulously to ensure that nothing went wrong. As he worked, he watched with insane wonder as his beast changed into what he desired most, naming this new form Eon.

Word eventually reached the remaining elements, realizing what the traitor they once called friend had done, the horror he wrought upon their island. However, by the time they reached the king of prowess, they were too late. He had succeeded making the ultimate beast for his plans, leaving only to stare in horror of what came next.

The newly changed beast, now having powers he didn't have before, discovered how cruel his master really was. Finding he had been nothing more than a pawn in the king's plans, the once pure beast turned on his master in rage. When he was done, all that remained was barely recognizable.

During his madness, the beast named Eon, had devoured and swallowed all the stolen jewels, including his dead master's. Somehow, he was successful in taking their powers, making himself even stronger than what his new form gave.

The immense power overwhelmed drove the once peaceful and intellectual beast, into complete and utter madness, bringing nothing but chaos across the land.

The three kings and queen tried to quell the beast, fighting with their powers, their beasts fighting with all their strength, barely holding it back.

Much to their horror, the vicious beast managed to destroy their island, destroying thousands of lives. Using its new powers, it cross the sea, finding new life to destroy, using its powers to poison the sea wherever he went.

The queen of aqueous and her beast struggled to keep up, re-purifying the water where it had been tainted. However, they were unable to save all by how far spread it was going and how fast Eon moved about so quickly. The king of voltaic and blaze tried to stall Eon, failing each time as the powerful beast easily broke through whatever defensive wall they put up. Every plan they tried had continuously failed, only bringing further chaos to everything around them.

Soon the fight went global, causing destructive storms at sea and land, fires burning for days, winters growing colder. Forests crumbled, volcanos erupting nonstop, landmasses suffered, islands sinking. Death continuously rose with spirits wailing in rage and agony over such horror, any new chance for new life being born lessoned dramatically, putting species in danger of going extinct.

Eventually the final act of the fight landed them onto a new island. In order ensure victory, knowing they could not kill the beast without risking the safety of the world, they worked together, combining their powers as one in order to seal Eon away.

Once the insane beast had been subdued finally, they extracted the jewels, allowing them to find new homes. Seeing as the jewels have a life of their own as well as being bound to a master, they were sent off to look for new hosts to take them. The spheres that contained the captured beasts scattered about alongside the jewels, awaiting new masters to reclaim them when the time was right.

The stress from the fight sadly was too much for the kings and queen, forcing their beasts to cry in sorrow as their masters and friends died.

Knowing they will soon be sealed into the spheres belonging to their masters, they used what strength they had to move the bodies of their masters.

The beast of aqueous moved her queen to the purest shores in hopes that her spirit will be at peace, watching over children as they swim happily.

The beast of blaze moved his king to base of a fierce and fiery volcano in secret prayer that he would protect life from maddening flames.

The beast of voltaic moved his master to mountain where thunderstorms always occurred in hopes his spirit would watch over innocent lives.

As for the kings and queens who had been murdered by their once faithful friend, their bodies were since lost due to the fall of their home. Therefore, only shrines could be built in honor of them.

Eventually, the remaining beasts were forced into their spheres, trapped inside for years, awaiting new masters to be born, praying such evil will never occur again.

Unbeknownst to them, Eon miraculously survived, using what little strength remained to go into a dormant sleep. He knew the remaining elements had died, their beasts sealed, but his strength had waned too much.

Despite how insane Eon had become, he was no fool to his own health. Therefore, he was willing to wait as long as necessary for his strength to return.

To be more precise, he was going to wait for new elements being born, ready to take revenge on all.

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Hopefully I made it ominous enough for you people to continue reading

Read and review ^w^


	2. Chapter 1

First official chapter of the fic.

Sorry it took a bit, things got in the way and what not ^^;

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"Kero!" a brunette screamed, throwing a pillow at a golden, lion like creature, her face an angry red. "Why did you shut my alarm off?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" a whiny voice retorted.

Before either could continue, the door opened, a tall teenager standing there, bags under his eyes, face flushed.

"Will you two idiots pipe down? You want to wake Dad up and explain to him how we have a talking stuffed animal living here?" the teen asked between coughs and snorting a little to keep his nose from running more than it already was.

"What'd you say?" the lion like creature snapped before the girl grabbed him, shoving him into her backpack.

"Tori! You're supposed to stay in bed!"

"Hard to stay in bed when I can't get sleep with all that yelling," the other grumbled as he shuffled back to his bedroom, stumbling into the wall, clearly out of it.

"Damnit Tori!" the girl cursed. She rushed to his side, activating Power, using the card's magic to help her hold her sibling up long enough to help him back to his room and into bed safely. "Want me to give Julian a call to keep you company?" the girl asked with more sympathy when looking at how bad off her brother was, especially after feeling his forehead.

"That'd be great," he chuckled lightly as he watched her get up, heading back to her room to change and get her phone.

Despite feeling like shit, he was already starting to somewhat feel better knowing she was calling his best friend. All he hoped for was that he didn't give the other his flu if he does come over.

Heaving a sigh, the brunette threw what she wore off, getting her school clothes on. She knew she should move faster, but looking at the time, she was going to be late for regardless. Looking closer at her alarm clock, she suddenly felt guilt hit her hard, having her glance at her backpack.

"Kero…" she called out softly, the small guardian popping his head out, expecting another pillow or something thrown at him. "Sorry for yelling at you…there must've been a power outage sometime last night." She pointed to the clock, revealing it did a reset, hence why didn't go off like it should have.

"Told you I didn't do it!" the other retorted before noticing how tired his magical friend looked. "Hey, you sure you should even go to school? You look like crap."

"Great way to make a lady feel good," the other joked before looking outside. "I know I probably should stay home, but its Friday, I'll be home all day tomorrow. This test is supposed to be big; I don't want to risk pushing it off."

"And if you fell asleep during the test?"

"Well good excuse I guess, but I'm fine really. I feel exhausted, but I don't feel tired for some reason. I'm probably catching whatever Tori has."

"Just don't give it to me then!"

"Yeah, yeah," she sighed as she finished getting dressed.

Turning to grab her bag, she hurried downstairs, grabbing something quick to eat on the way to school. Tagging along was Kero, who hid himself inside her bag when sure things were clear.

He didn't know why, but something in his gut telling him to stick close than staying home as he had been doing the last couple months.

Before she had left though, she grabbed her cellphone, dialing quickly into it and held it to her ear. After it rang a couple times, she heard it being picked up, glad that it wasn't voicemail.

"Sakura?" a voice spoke up sleepily on the other end, making the girl wonder if he was okay.

"Hey Julian, I'm about to head out for class, Tori's home sick, think you could swing by? He _really_ misses you," the girl teased, breaking out in a fit of laughter when hearing her friend sputter, clearly embarrassed by how she said it.

"S-sure, I'll come over, have fun at school," the silver haired teen responded nervously before hanging up, the girl doing the same.

"Yeesh, you seem to love teasing them now?"

"Don't tell me you haven't seen it? They practically drool over one another whenever they're together. I just can't believe that I didn't see it until now," the girl laughed causing her guardian to start chuckling a little.

"Wonder how Yue's gonna react if he knew his human host was in love with your brother," he teased.

"He'll figure something out I'm sure. And if he hasn't, well, I've actually been looking up spells with Li and Eli's help to actually split Julian and Yue apart. They're so different from one another and if I start college abroad or something, or Tori and Julian want to elope or whatever, it'll be hard to do it if an angel wants to stick by me like glue."

"Gotta point, when did _you_ get so smart?" the lion teased, causing a piece of toast to get shoved into his mouth.

"I'm not that dumb," she growled as she skated down the sidewalk.

Looking at the sky, she felt a slight shiver, recalling the news stating it was going to rain pretty hard today. Then again, it's been raining almost nonstop for the past couple weeks. It was really weird, last time it rained this hard…

"Sakura!" Kero screamed just as another let out a scream.

"Ow," she groaned as she looked up to see what she skated into, blushing when she found herself not only on top of her boyfriend, but felt her skirt was higher up. "I'm so sorry!" she cried out in embarrassment. As she sat up, she was already fixing her skirt to look more decent, seeing the other blushing like crazy as well.

"You really need to watch where you're going or you'll skate into a semi-truck next time," the boy scolded, though did help her to her feet.

"Sorry about that, guessing you overslept too?"

"Yeah, was up most of the night studying, then that stupid storm knocked out the power when I was sleeping so my alarm didn't go off."

"Same thing with me, but more with the alarm," the girl chuckled. "Who knows, maybe everyone will be running late including the teachers and they give us more time with the tests?" She joked as they made their way to the school building.

"Doubt it," the brunette grumbled as he threw his arms behind his head, staring blankly at the sky.

Before he knew it, he found himself shoving Sakura to the ground just as a bolt of lightening struck where she stood.

"Li!" she cried out, staring in shock at the black mark on the ground, realizing he saved her life.

"We need to get inside! The school isn't too far ahead," the sorcerer growled as he looked to the sky with distaste. Grabbing her hand, dragging her, grateful she was on skates to make pulling easier.

"Look out!" Kero shouted, changing into his secondary form, throwing his friends onto his back, flying at a faster speed as more bolts came crashing down. "This isn't a normal storm!"

"No shit!" the boy shouted over the crashing bolts, letting out a scream when a bolt came to close, nearly hitting them.

Feeling Sakura wrap her arms tightly around him, he looked back, seeing her tremble, understanding her fear.

The lightening bolts were moving too fast, there wasn't enough time for her to use Time or Thunder to intercept them. And that's only if the cards even had an effect.

Whatever was going on, it was definitely not normal. But how could he not sense it, not even Kero sense it beforehand? It didn't make sense; it had to be done by magic, how else would it be possible?

Focusing more, he felt his whole body shake, sensing the strange magic, unable to focus no more, fear penetrating his form instantly.

Before he knew it, a sharp pain started in his chest, particularly his heart. It felt like something was stabbing him there, forcing him to clutch the area, screaming in pain.

"Li!" Sakura screamed, hearing her boyfriend's cries, fearing the worst as he clutched his heart. _"He couldn't be having a heart attack! He's too young, to fit to have that happen!"_

Just as her worry grew, the boy suddenly stopped crying out in pain, instead panted hard, clutching the fur on Kero's back. The guardian ignored the pain, his mind more focused on getting them all to safety.

Before she could ask what was wrong, the school building came into view, forcing her to cling to the boy and lion, as they crashed through the doors.

The sound of glass shattering rang through their ears, Kero since returning to his small form, his strength drained heavily.

Looking behind her, she saw the lightening bolts no longer were actively striking the ground, instead kept to the sky.

Sighing in relief, she turned her attention to Li, seeing him unconscious, fear striking her over his well-being.

Scrambling over, semi-mindful of the glass, she managed to shove the shards away from the other, using her backpack to act as a pillow for him.

"Li wake up, please," the brunette begged, feeling tears form in her eyes.

"Sakura! Li!" a female voice cried out, causing the other to spin around, spotting a raven haired girl running with a young boy with dark navy hair following her.

"Madison? Eli?" she hiccupped slightly, relieved to see familiar faces, only now realizing how empty the school felt.

"What happened?" the reincarnation asked, looking at the shattered glass and bent metal, causing him to turn to small doll like lion. "What did you do, Kero?"

"Only save our asses! Something's messed up!"

"But breaking…" the boy started before the younger girl interrupted him.

"He's right, the lightening suddenly attacked us, it was too fast for me to try and stop it with the cards. Kero had me and Li on his back and got us here as fast as he could, no time for us to stop and open the doors. We weren't given a choice," Sakura explained, puffing her cheeks before turning her attention back to the other brunette. "I don't know what's wrong with him. We didn't get hit, and I don't see blood…oh god, what if he doesn't wake up?"

"Calm down, let's get him to the nurse's station, we can't stay here," Eli stated as he looked the other over. "Madison, run to the nurse's station, there should be a gurney there, get it and at least a couple of thick blankets. If there is a chance that he hit his head or worse, injured his back, we can't risk carrying him all the way."

Nodding, the smoky colored girl hurried off, not much time passing for her to retrieve it. Pushing it back to the others, she readied herself in case she's needed for more help regarding their unconscious friend.

"Take the blankets and get it underneath him, we'll use it to hoist him onto the gurney," the boy directed, the girls obeying as they swept the glass away quickly.

Once they got the boy onto the item, they pushed him safely to the nurse's station, finding the place empty of all life.

Seeing how empty the school looked, it sent chills through the young sorcerous, making her worry of what was happening.

"Should we call a doctor?" Madison asked before the other shook his head. "But if he's hurt badly!" she started before the other spoke up.

"While you were gone, Sakura and I examined him further. Remember, I'm a reincarnation of Clow, I'm about as old as her father, so I know a lot more than you think," he spoke, causing the other to pout. "Sorry, but he isn't hurt. But I think I have an idea with what's wrong with Li."

"What is it?" the girl asked, dropping her arms, forgetting the boy's earlier comment immediately.

"From what Sakura told me, it seems like he tried to focus in on what's causing the abnormal weather, but it retaliated. Because of that, I'm afraid it'd be risky for Sakura and I to do the same without the same thing befalling us as well."

"But how do we wake him?" the brunette asked pitifully, tears forming in her eyes before she clutched her head in pain.

"Sakura!" the others cried out as she collapsed, feeling as if a drill had been bored into her skull.

Soon after, the pain Li felt in his chest tore through her as well, forcing an agonized scream out of her throat. She clutched her chest, her mind going blank of all thoughts. Struggling to focus, refusing to fall like Li had, needing to be strong for him when he wakes up, for Madison and Eli.

Whatever is attacking them or trying to, if she goes down, Eli and Kero will be overwhelmed trying to protect them if a full out attack is made.

Even if she can't actually fight, she can at least use her magic to create shields or transport people to safety if it's necessary.

**'You are strong, just like her,'** a voice resonated through her skull.

The young girl's eyes widened as she looked about, finding she was in a black void, dread filling her small frame.

"Who are you?" the brunette called out, realizing she must've blacked out despite her fights against it.

**'You need not to worry yourself, little sorcerous. I will be sure to make your death quick and painless as I will with the boy soon after,'** the voice echoed, causing the girl's blood to run cold.

"You're…you're going to kill us?" she stuttered, feeling her whole body tremble, feeling her body break out into a cold sweat.

**'Of course, how else will I take control of your powers as well as others and rule this pathetic world?'**

"I won't let you take the cards!" she barked, feeling rage bubble inside her.

So that's what he's after, her Star Cards! That means, after he kills her and Li, he'll kill Eli and Julian, possibly the rest of her family too…

**'Why would I want such pathetic magic? Compared to what I want, what you and the others have, they are mere parlor tricks. That pathetic human should be ashamed of himself making such trash.'**

"What?" she gasped, shocked over what she heard before crying out as her body was enveloped in electricity, the pain great, feeling her skin slowly burn from the heat.

**'Just accept death and surrender your powers,'** the voice taunted, the girl feeling tears course down her face.

She wanted the pain to end, yet knew it would be foolish to just let this monster win, steal whatever power he's talking about.

"Li…Tori…someone…anyone…" she sobbed lightly, wishing for help before the attack on her flesh ended abruptly.

Eyes shooting open, she found herself in a brightly lit room, recognizing it as the nurse's station.

"Sakura!" Madison cried out, hugging her friend tightly.

"What…what happened?" she groaned as she tried sitting up, finding Li was also waking up, Eli tending to him.

"You suddenly blacked out, and before we could think of anything, you both woke up," the girl sobbed as her face remained buried into the other's chest.

"Something's out to kill me and Li!" the brunette cried out, recalling the nightmare, knowing it wasn't so, but didn't know what else to call it.

"What do you mean?" Eli asked tentatively.

Concern filled his eyes as he held a hand behind the boy's back, supporting his weight as best he could.

"I don't know, he, it, I don't know, wanted some kind of power from Li and I, others too it seems. But it doesn't want the cards, going as far as insulting them as tricks. Whatever we have is something even greater."

"A power greater than Clow Reed's?" Madison gasped as she looked towards Eli, seeing the boy look completely horrified at what he heard.

"Eli? When did you get here?" Li groaned, clearly still out of it from before, possibly not remembering what happened.

"Last night," he answered flatly before continuing. "I had some reasons for coming before discovering this strange weather phenomenon," the other retorted, having snapped out of his earlier stupor, turning his head away.

"Really?" he asked, giving the boy a hard look.

Shaking his head a little, knocking whatever was in his head in order; the reincarnated boy spoke once more. "Whatever is after you and Li is stronger than we first thought. That means, it means this entire city, possibly even the planet's safety depends solely on us."

"What do you mean?" a voice asked nervously.

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Hope you're enjoying it so far ^_^

Please read and Review ^_^


	3. Chapter 2

Second chapter and things are heating up.

Hope you enjoy ^_^

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Before anyone could react, Eli was the first, summoning his staff, using it to slam a young girl against the wall, knocking the wind right out of her. He pressed it against her throat before stopping, paling when realizing who it was as he pulled away, stumbling backwards in shock.

"Rita!" Sakura gasped as she jumped from the bed, rushing to the other's side, catching her as she began to collapse, gagging for air. "You could've killed her!"

"I didn't even sense…" the navy haired boy started before pausing, the color in his face draining, scaring the others in the room.

"Eli?" Madison started, reaching a hand out to him, watching as he flinched from her touch.

"I…I can't seem to sense her…I should be able to, even if she doesn't use magic…but now…now I can't sense Li or Sakura and they're right here with us," the boy stuttered, eyes widening in absolute horror, his whole body shaking horribly.

"You what?" Li gasped, shooting out of bed, running to the other's side, grabbing him by the shoulders with an angry glare. "This better not be some fucking joke!"

"I…I'm not joking, I swear!"

"Could it be due to whatever attacked you and Sakura?"

"If you're talking about the lightening and weird chest pain, add me in," Rita coughed between words.

"Take it easy, you just got choked almost to death," Sakura scolded, unintentionally causing the glasses wearing boy to tremble, clearly disturbed over what he almost committed. "Wait…you said you were attacked by lightening then suddenly blacked out from chest pain?"

"I'm not the only one," the girl began before footsteps were heard.

The others tensed before normally timid girl forced herself up onto her feet, limping out to the hallway, giving a pained wave and smile. Instantly Sakura and the others relaxed when spotting Meilin and…

"Mom?" Li gasped when spotting his parent walking in from behind, a stoic look on her face. "What…what are you doing here?"

"I grew concerned when I no longer could feel the presence of Meilin, even as she sat in the same room as myself. My concern grew when she collapsed in pain, waking up later, describing she felt as if she were drowning, unable to decide if it was soil or water choking her."

"I had that happen, but I was engulfed in electricity!" Sakura gasped before the others spoke up.

"I felt like everything was crushing me, as well as was burning, then being electrocuted, buried, drowning, freezing, vines wrapping around me. Almost like every known element out there tried to kill me right then and there," Rita explained, feeling her body tremble at the memory.

"It felt like the whole planet engulfed, making me feel enclosed, soil filling my lungs, unable to escape," Li added, feeling ashamed of being this weak in front of his mother before feeling her hands on his shoulders, pulling him close.

"Don't be ashamed, whatever is going on, you four are connected somehow."

**'They are I'm afraid, as well as many others, but they are the main ones, descendants of true power greater than that of the legendary Clow Reed,'** a woman's voice resonated throughout their minds, feeling as if they were being spoken to individually, yet all at the same time.

"Who is it?" Eli cried out, his voice cracking, revealing his fear.

**'Trust my words, child, follow the four, they will lead you where the answers you seek are found,'** the voice spoke once more, sending a strange warmth through his frame, calming him somehow, like a mother's embrace.

"What should we do?" Madison asked, unknowingly clinging to Eli's arm.

"Guess we should follow the lady's advice and let Sakura and the others lead?" Kero spoke up, startling Rita at the sight. "Oh shit."

Managing to settle her friend down, Sakura managed to explain as best she could to the other, surprised at how well she did up until Kero spoke. After a bit, the timid brunette managed to calm down, apologizing for her actions before the other apologized for not telling her about everything that's happened since the start of the card's escape.

Once ready, they headed out, the four somehow feeling a strange tugging sensation, pulling them down roads and alleys, leading them to their destination. All the while, Eli and Yelan focused on creating barriers to prevent any attacks from occurring upon their trek.

Madison used her phone to call Ruby and Spinner, knowing the boy was far too busy, plus could see he was still very much shaken over what happened. She's never seen him lash out at anyone, so seeing him attack so violently, and then crumble at his own actions, it broke her heart.

"Why are the streets so empty?" Rita asked while they walked, spotting no traffic, no signs of any life.

It was so eerie as they looked around, unsure on what was going on, making her think back to her fiancé, worried over whether he was okay or not.

Careful with her magic, the older woman concentrated on the surrounding area before heaving a small sigh.

"Just as I suspected, this magic is very unusual and rare, even amongst the most famous sorcerers."

"What do you mean?" Meilin asked with concern, having stopped along with the others traveling with them.

"There are different kinds of magic. There is what Sakura, Li, Eli, and I have that is known as bred magic, where it was born into the family due to ancestors bearing it. It is also rumored Clow Reed's magic is also bred."

"You're kidding?" Kero gasped, clearly shocked, looking over at Eli, hoping for answers as he has a near direct link to all of his former master's memories.

However, he and the others who turned to him could only stare in disbelief at the boy's own reaction to the woman's words. He was clearly lost and confused, meaning he had no idea either, making the others worry before Yelan spoke once more.

"Then there is natural magic where it is obtained through plants and animals, later consumed by humans where they gain their magic to later pass down to their young in the course of their lifetime. And there is pure magic, where it will appear spontaneously in an individual, including someone who already has magic in them. But it is very rare and sadly I know almost nothing about it. However, I can tell you this much, whoever is causing all this has pure magic, and I can only assume that you four also bear it too, having it awakened now due to the attacks."

"I don't believe it, so you're saying that we don't only have bred magic in us, but this so called _pure_ magic as well?" Sakura asked as she stared at the woman. "How is that even possible?"

"I don't know, as I stated, pure magic is so rare, it is rarely recorded, so there is almost no information regarding it."

"But what are we going to do though if this is all pure magic? We know nothing about it, and we have no idea how to use whatever power this thing is claiming we have? How can we fight?" Rita asked, her voice cracking at the emotional build up.

"I'm sure we'll find a way, we just need to watch each other's backs. Although pure magic is rare, it is still magic, meaning we still have a chance to fight. Yelan and I can at least hold who or whatever is attacking you four back long enough for you to figure out what kind of powers you have to use them," Eli explained with his voice quivering slightly.

He could feel his body shudder at the thought of being only good enough to hold an enemy back, not able to actually vanquish it.

"But…but what do you mean though that it's cause of everyone missing?" the young sorcerous asked.

"I apologize, what I meant was that whoever is causing all this, is also the source of everyone's disappearance, possibly to keep them from interfering. As for how…"

"The flu epidemic!" Li gasped as it clicked. "A few weeks back everyone suddenly started catching the flu. Any who didn't had to stay home to tend to their sick relatives. Vets were being overwhelmed with sick animals as well as hospitals getting hundreds of patients who got worse."

"It makes sense, having the flu is dangerous enough as is, but having it used as a cover to keep people from interfering is brilliant," the boy's mother stated as he cupped her chin, thinking over the thought.

Silence fell amongst the group, unsure what to say or do after all that had been said. Whatever was happening, it was serious. Lives were in danger. It wasn't like before when the cards played pranks, few actually being a threat or Eli's dangerous tests.

Soon, they found themselves passing Sakura's home, the girl stopping, concern showing as she looked at her place.

"I…I need to get Julian and Tori…I don't want to leave them alone if this is going on," the brunette stuttered softly.

She hurried over to her place, pulling the keys out to unlock the door. She heard the others follow; grateful they were coming with her. She was hoping that maybe Yelan might have something to help her brother if his flu is actually caused by a spell and not him being an idiot overworking himself or something.

"Sakura?" they heard the silver haired teen call out.

"Yeah," she responded, hurrying up the stairs, hearing Yelan following as well as Eli's footsteps treading behind.

"What are you doing here, shouldn't you be at school?"

"There's weird shit going on," Kero piped up, "we almost got killed by lightening just trying to get to the school."

"Something's trying to kill me," the girl spoke up. "And not just me, it's trying to kill Li, Meilin, and Rita. We don't know what it is yet, but we're hoping to find out soon. We're going to need Yue's help I'm afraid."

"But Tori…" the other responded, clearly looking distraught over leaving the other behind.

"Allow me to examine him, there is a chance his fever is only due to a spell, not actual illness," Yelan spoke up, grabbing the other's attention.

"A spell?"

Nodding, she waited for the other to lead her to the teen's room, Sakura following after, only stopping outside the room as Eli went in, Julien stepping out.

"So if it is a spell…what does that mean?"

"There's a chance Li's mom can cure him so he can safely come with us. Whatever is attacking us, I was already getting scared that it might try to attack you and Tori. I don't even know if I should try contacting Dad or not about. I still haven't told him about my powers and now all this is happening."

As she spoke, her shoulders began to tremble, revealing her fear despite her attempts to hold it together. Feeling hands on her arms, she looked up, seeing the other's kind face, causing her to relax slightly.

"Don't worry; I'm sure your dad will be fine. We can tell him after we stop this. Telling him now may end up putting him into more danger than keeping him in the dark a little longer," the teen spoke, pulling a handkerchief out, using it to wipe the girl's eyes dry. Just as his hand made contact with a tear, his body froze, appearing shocked, causing the other to stare in confusion. "Sorry…whatever is happening with you…for some reason your tears feel so cold, as if they're ice water."

"What?" the girl gasped.

Using a hand to touch a tear, feeling it was indeed cold, even tasting the liquid, finding no salt, almost like it was fresh water from the sink or a river.

"We'll find out soon enough, Sakura," Yelan spoke calmly, guessing what was going on in the girl's mind.

However, she unintentionally startled the pair as she and Eli came out of the bedroom. Behind them was Tori, looking a thousand times better if not looking a thousand times pissed. Already he was mostly dressed, working on getting his shirt on, grabbing a jacket as he followed them downstairs.

"So, I only got sick because some bastard just wants to kill you," the girl's brother growled, fists clenching at the very thought. "He'll have to get past my cold dead body to even touch you."

"We should hurry," the older woman stated as she looked outside, concern showing as the winds grew in intensity.

Pulling her staff out, Sakura already called out a couple of cards, now better prepared in what they might be dealing with.

She knew it was risky to use her magic, but it was riskier letting Eli and Yelan do all the work in shielding them from any unknown attacks. This way, by using some of her cards, they're better prepared if a sneak attack was made before they had time to react.

Once outside, they pushed through the growing wind, Shield and Windy called out to protect them.

Hurrying further down the roads and alleys, the small group found themselves at an abandoned lot, a decrepit building standing in the middle.

The area was bare of all life, only dust clouds of age old ash kicking up due to the wind, parts in gray puddles from past rains.

A fence surrounded the place, barbed wire at top, a lock used at the main gate; signs set up to keep all trespassers out.

No signs of visible footprints showed of recent activity, more so when the few construction equipment that sat about had obvious signs of no usage.

The building itself had no care given or if it had, it was a futile attempt. Signs of burns showed, as for what caused it, it was unknown.

Boards were thrown about the windows and doors, the wood closest to being brand new while the rest was nothing more than charred remains.

Chains were set up in various places, namely any doors or certain equipment to keep people out.

"What is this place?" Eli questioned, concern showing more when seeing some of the others tremble at the mere sight of it.

He felt uneasy himself when looking the place over, finding himself trembling to the point he felt his guardian fly into his shoulder, attempting to settle his nerves.

"This…this is my earliest memory," Sakura stuttered, eyes widening.

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	4. Chapter 3

Answers are slowly coming together for others.

Wonder how deep in the rabbit hole they'll go?

* * *

"Earliest memory?" Meilin asked, appearing spooked by the girl's words.

"This…I was practically still in diapers, yet somehow the memory of this place stayed with me the entire time. Then again, what happened here, I guess I can't be really that surprised," the sorcerous explained. They could hear it in her voice, showing how uncomfortable she was being here.

"This used to be a hotel, or was going to become one eight years ago," Tori started. He placed his hands on his sister's shoulders, an attempt to calm her down as her body trembled.

"Going to be?" Ruby asked, concern showing in her features as she looked the place over.

"Somehow an electrical fire broke out, almost like something or someone cut the wires and left them as is so it would be active still," the teenager explained, his grip on his sister's shoulders tightening slightly. "A lot of people were there to watch the opening ceremony. Our parents took us there to watch it since there was word of games and activities for children, so knew it wouldn't be completely boring."

"Only we ended up watching it fall into a burning blaze," the younger sibling stated almost coldly at the memory. "Five people died trying to put the blaze out, but nothing could stop it, only a freak storm did. We were just dealing with a drought, then suddenly, as if nature wanted to help us, a sudden rainstorm appeared, putting the rest of the flames out."

"I remember reading about it in the papers," Yelan gasped when recalling the incident. "It was one of the strangest fires in recorded history because of how it happened followed by the chance of such a rainstorm happening when no firefighter could stop it, regardless of what they did. It couldn't have been a coincidence, no matter what expert may say. Goddamn it! I should've realized it that day."

"What do you mean?" Madison asked, arms wrapped around herself as she trembled at the memory, clearly recalling it.

"That date is exactly the same as when Meilin's house mysteriously burned to the ground, forcing her family to move closer to mine."

"What?" the others gasped as they looked at the younger girl, seeing her look away, clearly recalling that memory.

"It was also the same day I almost lost my son to the hands of death," the woman stated, her voice cracking only slightly. However, just as soon as it happened, she pulled herself together, more so as the boy froze, as if he now recalled the memory.

"Li?" Sakura asked as she looked at her boyfriend, seeing his whole body shake in absolute terror.

"I…I remember…I thought I pushed it out of my memory, I didn't want to deal with the nightmares anymore," the boy stuttered, falling to his knees, his body shaking harder and harder.

"Li!" the girl cried out, breaking out of her brother's grip, rushing to is side, fearing for his safety as she wrapped an arm around his figure.

"I…I was really little. Mom…she and my sisters were going out of town, but couldn't take me with them, so they left me at a special daycare until they got back. They felt I was safer there than left home alone with servants or some random sitter. But hours before they were due to come home…that's when it happened."

"What happened?" Eli asked, his earlier fear dissipating. Instead, he was looking quite alarmed over the boy's actions. He has seen the boy look scared, but never this badly, let alone for himself.

"Men on their way to execution escaped their prison bus and held themselves up in the daycare Li was in. They murdered all the adults and several children who tried escaping. The rest were held hostage by means to negotiate an escape," the boy's mother explained, closing her eyes, disturbed by the memory as well.

The others could only stare in horror at what they heard, looking between the two, finding no signs of either lying about it.

"They…they killed kids I knew around me, killing one every hour if the police didn't react. A single bullet in each head or chest," the boy stated, his voice devoid of everything but fear, his head leaning against his girlfriend's shoulders.

Squeezing his eyes shut, his body shook harder, taking shaky breaths, the memory raw in his mind even after all these years.

"The police aren't sure what happened, but a strange electrical discharge occurred in the daycare. Somehow, the shock had been enough to kill the men, sparing Li and the other children," the woman explained, falling to her knees next to the two on the ground.

Her once stoic face was replaced with agonizing fear and sorrow, clearly upset over what happened.

"That…that isn't the whole story," the boy stated softly.

His voice slowly regained its strength as he pulled away from Sakura's embrace, looking ashamed of what he was saying.

"What are you saying?" the boy's mother asked, shocked at what she heard. "What else could you have hidden?"

"It wasn't just some electrical discharge, I know what caused it!" the boy cried out, looking at his parent with such fear. "I…I knew no one would believe me if I told the police everything. I was just a little kid; they would just chalk it up as trauma or something and try to have me put onto pills if I tried to say otherwise."

"Then what caused the discharge if it hadn't been accidental?" Eli asked, concern showing for the other's well-being.

"I don't know what it was, but it looked like some strange cat or tiger with huge fangs. It's mostly a blur at this point, but I know that's the basic shape. It was mostly yellow and white. I think it also had a purple mane or something along the back…and that's about as much as I can remember. Moment he showed up, the lights went crazy, as if that thing forced the electricity out to save us."

"So a saber-toothed tiger saved your life?" Tori asked in near disbelief.

"It's the truth!" the boy shrieked, unable to keep himself in check as he glared at the older male, tears showing at the edge of his eyes. "Even then, I found I had some weird power, only showing when I was truly, truly scared…"

Having him admit it, his head hung low, tear droplets falling as his shoulders shook heavily, the others jumping when small sparks of electricity danced off his body.

"Why didn't you tell me? You could've hurt yourself or others not telling us this!" the boy's mother scolded before Meilin interrupted.

"I don't blame him…I wasn't entirely truthful about how the house burned down exactly. You see, I saw a cat like beast too, but more lion like or maybe even a little dog like, I don't really remember. When it showed up, the oven burst into flames, burning our home to the ground just like that."

"Meilin…" Li whimpered softly, unable to stop himself as he stared at his cousin, somehow knowing what she was going to say next.

"After that…I know you guys say I'm short tempered, but…but I found when I'm truly angry. Not childish anger like you've seen, but true anger, I somehow can create fire practically out of nothing."

Upon saying this, she held out her hand after picking up a completely soaked piece of wood. Appearing to concentrate in short seconds, the lumber instantly burst into flames, as if it made contact with magma.

"F-fuck!" Tori cursed as he jumped in fright, looking between the two.

"I had to make myself control this weird power. Something inside me told me so, that I just couldn't tell anyone about it. At least, I couldn't yet, again, felt like something was telling me so. Over time, I just about forgot about it, barely recalling it, save for a few nightmares of the house burning down. I even had to make it where I can still get burned or at least fake it so no one would question me in case I was in the kitchen or doing something that dealt with fire or something really hot."

"Same here," the boy admitted as he looked up, attempting to wipe his tears away from his eyes, feeling his girlfriend's hand wipe them away.

"Sakura, did something like that happen with you?" Julian asked towards the girl, seeing her look away in shame.

"I saw a beautiful blue cat or wolf; I don't know what it could've been. All I know…all I know is that it had long purple mane and strange looking tails and a crystal like thing on the head, almost like a crown," the girl stated. "After I saw it, after the fire ended…" she paused, as if afraid of what to say. "Some kids tried bullying me and Tori when he was walking me home a few months after the fire, after our mom died. I never felt so angry before, I…I found myself attacking them, but they easily pushed me away as they beat Tori."

"I remember, those bastards broke my arm," the teen spat as he rubbed his limb, as if he could still feel the pain.

"You were unconscious, they hit you with a brick," the girl stated causing the others to stare in horror between the two, wondering what happened. Seeing him nod, appearing ashamed of not being stronger to protect his sibling. "I…somehow I made puddles around us to manifest and attack…but it wasn't enough. Next thing I knew, my arms were nothing but water. It…it was enough to chase them off."

"I remember you telling me," he stated as he placed a hand on her shoulder, rubbing her back as she shook at the memory.

"All I wanted to do was protect you, seeing you hurt, not just from those bullies, but seeing you hurt over losing Mom. It was like I just had to protect you from feeling so helpless and sad; it somehow made me control water. And not just control it, but I found I had no need to get wet, to drink, use the bathroom…even breathe underwater! But I knew…something in the back of my head knew it wasn't right. So I had to basically force my body to continuously act as it did before that power appeared inside me."

As she explained, she held up her hand, barely having to concentrate as her limb literally dissolved into nothing but water, no signs of bone, muscle, blood, and tissue, just pure water. While some gasped, few turned away, hands over their mouths, appearing sick, Eli surprisingly amongst them.

When the sorcerer pulled himself together, he noticed something was off between the siblings. Or more, something was off with their story. He could not only see it in their eyes, but in their actions. Up until she mentioned she chased the bullies off, it was all truthful, but when she said that, he could practically feel the lies off of them.

However, as much as he would want to know why and call her out, he held his tongue. It wasn't his place, more than likely that was the start of their constant fighting, and they're regretting it ever starting in the first place.

"But what about Rita? She was present when the fire started…" Madison began before the other responded.

"To be honest, nothing like that has ever happened like it had with Sakura, Li, and Meilin. I mean in getting some weird power…but I did see something, not that blue cat Sakura saw, I'm sure of it. It was dark, hiding from within the burning building. It had menacing eyes, as if it was piercing straight through my soul. I had nightmares for months after that, feeling as if those eyes were following me, whispering words of betrayal constantly in my ears. I was close to going insane until I met Sakura, then later…later meeting Mr. Terada and…"

"Falling in love with him?" the sorcerous asked, causing the other to blush and look away, hugging herself.

"Y-yeah…"

"So each of you encountered some sort of beast, only three of them appearing to have helped while one might've been a possible threat," Eli stated as he thought about what he heard, trying to find some connection. "I think I might have an idea on what's happening, Yelan, have you heard about the old tale regarding the Elements?"

"Yes, it was an old fairytale my father would read me when I was a small girl."

"Yes, but I don't think it's so much a fairytale any more. I think it was an actual piece of history."

"What are you talking about?" Tori asked, grabbing the boy's shoulder, forcing him to turn and face him.

"There was an old tale regarding a group of kings and queens who once lived on an island, isolated from all main landmasses. The island was filled with pure, raw elements, both physical and mystical. Living on the island were mysterious beasts and people, all living in perfect harmony with one another. Amongst them, a select few had been picked as these kings and queens."

"What does that have to do…" the raven haired teen growled before the other interrupted him.

"Each one represented an element; water, fire, spirits, death, earth, ice, life, wind, lightening, and if I recall natural strength."

"They were regarded as elements?" he asked in near disbelief.

"On that island, yes, strange as it may have been, they considered these kings and queens as rulers of an element. But in that old tale, it was spoken that the king of prowess grew weary of being vulnerable while many of the others weren't. So he betrayed them and his own beast by murdering the others, sealing their beasts, and forcing his to transform into something monstrous. The remaining Elements; water, fire, and lightening were forced to chase the beast of prowess down. The traitorous king had since been killed by his own beast…"

**'Instead of calling us beasts, you may prefer to call us Pokémon,'** a voice spoke up, startling the group as three flashes appeared.

Before them were three large, cat like beasts, looming before them with intimidating stares. It didn't take long for them to recognize them as the creatures that three of the children saw in their younger years, the descriptions matching perfectly.

"Did you…did you say, Pokémon?" Eli asked, shock written all over his face as he stared at the towering beasts.

**'So you have heard of us then?'** a male voice spoke, the tiger stepping forward.

"I don't know much of your kind, I mostly learned through one I've raised," the boy explained as he pulled out a strange red and white sphere.

Pressing a button, the others watched as it enlarged before hitting it once more, having the ball open, letting loose a burst of energy.

**'You claim you know little of us, yet you seem to know how to operate that device, have you not traveled outside this country?'**

"I don't even know where my friend lived, she was given to me as a gift a long time ago," the sorcerer stated as a green fairy like creature formed out of the light.

Strapped to her head were what looked like goggles, only the design seemed similar to the boy's glasses.

"Bree?" the small fairy chirped, landing onto the boy's shoulder, appearing confused as it looked at the three beasts.

**'You own a legendary Pokémon no less? Who are you?'** the tiger snarled, baring his fangs at the boy who barely flinched at the danger.

"Eli Moon, and I'm honest, I don't know what Celebi is other than what I had been told by a friend when she gave me her Pokéball."

**'Raikou, calm down, the child's telling the truth, I can see it in his eyes. And the Celebi is young, judging her appearance, at least a few decades old, hardly old enough to even use telepathy to speak,'** a woman's voice scolded, the wolf stepping between the human and tiger.

**'I still don't buy it,' **the tiger growled.

**'You are far too much like your master, I hope that the new one will ease that temper of yours,'** the largest creature stated with a sigh.

**'Shut it, Entei!' **the tiger snapped with a bark like roar, fur standing on end.

"You said new masters, are you talking about us?" Rita asked, yelping in fear when the three turned to face her.

**'Three of you, yes, but you, my dear are in the greatest danger,' **the large creature, Entei, as he was called spoke, pity in his voice. **'You inherited the power, the element of prowess, meaning your partner is that of the monster we must face.'**

"You're insane! Are you saying that I'm connected to the king who betrayed your kings and queens?"

**'I'm afraid so, little one,' **the blue beast spoke, walking up to the girl, nuzzling her gently as she began to cry softly.

"What can we do to protect her? And how do we protect ourselves?" Sakura asked in a near beg, feeling tears forming in her eyes.

**'Crying won't help us, child,'** the tiger snarled, causing the girl to glare, angered at his attitude.

**'Raikou, they are children! I don't like it any more than you do, I would have preferred that if this was happening, they would be older at least, better prepared even if it could be helped. But we're forced to play the hand we're dealt with, isn't that what the king of wind always told us?'** the blue beast hissed, snapping her jaws at the tiger.

"What are you? You say you are known as Pokémon, yet I never heard of you and Eli claims he only knows little. So do tell us if you may," Yelan growled, gently pushing Li behind her, clearly showing her protective side.

**'It may be hard to explain, but we will do our best without confusing any of you,' **the blue beast sighed, having calmed down.

**'And why not bake biscuits and serve Eon all our heads on a silver platter while we talk shit?'** Raikou growled before letting loose a roar when Entei swatted him with a powerful paw.

**'He is still weak, we have time, we must train the children in controlling their powers before we even think about sending them into this fight with us. It would not be fair to make them fight something they do not understand, am I correct?' **the blue beast stated with a growl before turning towards Yelan with a soft look. **'I apologize for Raikou's rash behavior. Among the three of us, he is the youngest.'**

"It is fine, in some ways, his actions remind me of that of a child," the older woman chuckled lightly. Moment the words escaped her lips, it caused the others to relax slightly, knowing if she was willing to relax with these strange animals, they are not as dangerous as they initially thought.

**'Fuck off, both of you!'** Raikou snarled, clearly embarrassed at being picked on like this, despite deserving it.

**'Follow us, while this place appears dangerous, it is merely an illusion to ward off foolish humans,' **Entei spoke as he guided them towards the entrance of the decrepit hotel. The others paused when he walked literally through the doorway, revealing it was indeed an illusion of some sort.

Still unsure, the group looked amongst one another before the fairy Eli had summoned suddenly flew after them.

Immediately, both the boy and Spinner panicked, taking chase after her with worried shouts. Seeing them go in, the others followed, out of fear of being alone as well as worry for their safety.

* * *

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	5. Chapter 4

They learn more and more.

* * *

"Not as bad as I thought…" Sakura whispered softly as they walked inside.

They could see that the damage inside was not as horrendous as it looked on the outside. Yes, there were portions that are obviously dangerous, but visible at least, even with lack of light.

"You called the monster, Eon, right?" Rita asked towards the blue creature. "But what of yourselves? We don't know what you're called or go by…I'm sorry if that sounded rude in any way."

**'No need to apologize, it is appropriate for us to introduce ourselves. I go by Suicune, I'm the Guardian over Aqueous. That is Entei, the Guardian over Blaze, and Raikou, Guardian over Voltaic,'** the blue beast explained with a light bow before continuing. **'As for our opponent, yes, that is his name. At least, that is what we call him now. Many years ago, he was one of the sweetest and most intellectual Pokémon among us Elemental Guardians.'**

"How come we never heard of Pokémon before, Suicune, right?" Madison asked nervously. She was staying close to Eli; however, a yelp escaped her when the fairy buzzed up to her, flying straight into her arms, snuggling in happily. "Oh!"

**'For a Pokémon that young and sensitive to emotions very much like a Ralts, she must sense you have a kind heart to trust you that fast. You're quite lucky, child, both of you really,'** Entei chuckled warmly when he looked behind upon hearing the girl's cry.

"Ralts?"

**'Another breed of Pokémon. You see, with our species, there are hundreds of different kinds. Some of us are natural, as what you see before you. then there are others who are manmade in some form or another. Then there are many that are very common as the animals you see today. There are also a select number, for one reason or another, are considered rare, some rarer than others,' **Suicune explained before the fire controlling Pokémon spoke up.

**'The three of us as well as that Celebi are considered very rare, legendary to be precise due to the low numbers and what we're capable of,'** he finished as looked to the group with strong eyes. **'For what we are, we're a unique species of animals, completely different from the ones you're used to. Many of us are located in remote parts of the world, almost completely cut off from everyone else.'**

"So you guys came from one of those remote places then?" Julian asked as they each took a seat from snatching cushions scattered about or a working chair.

**'For the others, including that little Celebi, yes, there are pockets where they had the chance to grow and survive. But for others, such as us Guardians, we had actually come from a parallel world compared to this one.'**

"How was that possible?"

**'Just as legacies are born and given, the three of us and others who are locked away, were not the first. There had been other Guardians before us just as there had been previous Elements before our masters.'**

"How does that answer…"

Chuckling, Suicune answered the teen's question. **'What Entei means is that before we became guardians, the previous ones, one of them was capable of traveling through the fabric of reality itself. He went by the name of Palkia; he was a legendary dragon and the previous guardian of aqueous.'**

"Really, that's amazing," Madison chimed in as she and everyone else listened in.

**'He was a brave fellow, and a smart Pokémon to pick you to take over as the new Guardian of Aqueous,'** Entei commented with a sad sigh.

"Do all Pokémon represent something, or was it just a select few who become guardians?" Spinner asked as he looked to the three.

**'If I recall, in our original world, Pokémon, each and every one of them had a different type, ability, the list going on for them to survive. Take us for example, while it is somewhat a coincidence for us to be of the same type as what we are guardians over, but we each are a type. I am an electric type, Suicune is a water type, and Entei is a fire type. The little Celebi there is somewhat unique, being both grass and psychic. There are dozens others who are duel types, but certain ones are more rare and unique than others, especially based on location.'**

**'However, there are a few who can, with special stones moves, unusual items or plants; they can change types or gain a secondary type, sometimes their actual bodies even changing. Some of these changes are permanent, while others are temporary. It is a constant evolution in literal terms for the survival not only for the Pokémon, but for the humans who live alongside them as well.'**

**'Of course, for some Pokémon to change, evolve in a sense, to get stronger, they usually fight one another in a competitive sport. Sometimes they fight harder for survival or to acquire a mate, but from what our previous Guardians have told us, most Pokémon who fight, do it for fun. The more they fight and meet the requirements for their bodies to change, be it while living in the wild with their pack or they find it through means of encountering and being raised by humans.'**

"They sound like amazing creatures," Madison exclaimed.

She and everyone else were listening as the three explained more regarding their species. Every one of them appeared completely engrossed, almost forgetting their lives were on the line. It continued, each one amazed by what is told, going on for a couple of hours as they learned more about this apparently new, yet old species.

"If I may interject, but what about Eon? I don't wish to ruin what we're having, but we still sadly have a threat to deal with," Spinner spoke up with a soft cough to grab everyone's attention.

"Spinner's right…" Eli growled slightly, accidentally spooking his Celebi.

Realizing what he did, he immediately began fret over her, cradling her gently as she nuzzled against his body, clearly showing a caring side for the tiny creature he was raising. Those who saw this couldn't help but smile, having never really seen such a tender side with him.

**'I apologize, we should focus on Eon. I was hoping that by telling you more about our species, it may help you when it comes to battling him. Despite what he has become, to some extent, he is still very much a Pokémon. Therefore, he has instincts to follow as any of us do,'** Suicune spoke, hanging her head low.

"No, no, it was great you told us, but I think we might know enough about your general species, so it would be wise if we should learn more about the threat now. The stories did say that he had been changed through multiple means at once, creating a monster out of it. It might make most sense to now learn what he has become if we plan on fighting him, especially Li and the girls if no other choice is left," the small black cat explained while he waved his paws frantically.

**'Eon at this point is just a bastard, a disgrace to his evolutions,'** Raikou spat before getting smacked again by Entei. **'I'm just stating the truth!'**

**'And it was not Eon's entire fault he became this way. Remember, it had been the actions of his master. The man abused his trust not only to help kill the kings and queens but forcing him to evolve through so many methods at once. If he hadn't, then he would still be the same friend,'** the fire type scolded.

"So what was Eon originally?" Rita asked, feeling her fists clench slightly, mostly as her stomach knotted up.

She knew that whatever this evil Pokémon once was is in a sense her partner, is supposed to be her guardian. Yet, this is also the same one she and the others may be forced to kill.

The very thought of it made her sick, wishing there was another way to help the Pokémon, especially since he was not at complete fault. He's as much a victim as everyone else.

**'A unique Pokémon called Eevee, his species capable of evolving through multiple methods. A few examples of what he could change into would be Flareon, a fire type, Vaporeon a water type, Espeon a psychic type, Sylveon the fairy type, the list going on. You could say he is considered one of the most valuable and versatile Pokémon because of his evolution roots.'**

"So…so he was made to become everything at once?" the brunette asked, nervousness showing.

**'I'm afraid so. While he was already losing himself due to his master twisting things, convincing him to remain loyal, even going as far as to abuse the poor thing's trust… But forcing him to evolve like that, the very stress of it must've been too much to make him finally snap.'**

"Oh," the girl spoke softly, feeling pity for this Pokémon more and more.

"Does Eon have any weaknesses that could help us?" Tori asked.

The look on his face was completely serious, more than his sister or any of the others have ever seen on him before. Then again, he had great reason for being this serious, his sister and her friends' lives are in danger.

**'None that we know of, you see, when Eon was made to evolve, it was for the purpose he would bear all the types. We have no idea what weaknesses he could have, that could work into our favor and stop him. The only moves we know well that cannot hurt him are normal and fighting based moves,'** Entei replied with a growl, clearly angered at how futile it's sounding.

"Then how the hell are we going to beat him?" Meilin shouted.

**'Just because he has no known actual weaknesses doesn't mean he isn't immortal, he is still a Pokémon, he can bleed, breathe, and eat, meaning that he can die,' **Raikou stated with a growl. **'All we have to do is find out which of our attacks and methods work best in order to take him down.'**

"Will other magic work, such as binding spells?" Eli asked.

**'We're not sure, but I suggest if you do help, watch yourselves. Because of his unknown type, we have no idea what he is capable of, what his ability might even be, what attacks he may know or have learned since our last meeting. He…he is outside the boundaries of what a normal Pokémon should be. He isn't what our creator for our species wanted us to be,'** Suicune explained, the others sensing her unease; practically feel her fear of the situation.

Feeling the fear, Eli couldn't hold back the small whimper, unknowingly hugging Celebi until she chirped when the grip grew too tight, forcing him to let go of her.

He wasn't sure why he was so afraid, he's faced far scarier things in his life, seen terrifying things from Clow Reed's past life. So why now was he trembling so much?

Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he jumped, turning to see that it was Madison's, having him look her in the eye.

He could see she was scared, but also had that same faith that things will turn out good in the end. Seeing that hopeful, innocent, strong look somehow helped him calm down, relaxing into her touch.

"So how can we fight Eon then? If he has no known weakness we can use, then what kind of battle strategy do we need?" Li asked, the others agreeing with him.

**'For you three, you have an idea how each of your elements work to some degree. But you need proper training, so the three of us will each take you and train until you're completely synched with your element. They need to be part of you, an extension of yourself so when used; it's as natural as breathing,'** Entei explained before turning towards Rita. **'As for you, until we find out how you can use the full potential of your element. Until then, it is best to come up with strategies to protect you. Eon will want to kill you, not only is he powerful, but he has a strange power to absorb the other Elements. Li and the girls won't be attacked, especially as we have made ourselves known to you. However, you are the most vulnerable, both without a partner and with having awakened your Element as the others have.'**

"So he might try to kill Rita to get her power?" Sakura gasped in horror, looking between the Pokémon and her friend.

"Why the four of them? Weren't there more of you?" Kero asked, clenching his tiny paws, trying to keep his temper in check.

**'Yes, but when Eon was defeated the first time and our masters were successful in extracting the stolen jewels, they vanished along with the captured guardians. All we can assume is why we were sealed until now; they went to find new masters. Whether they're in this world or somehow went to another, we have no idea. If we had more time, we would've searched for the others, making the fight hopefully easier on our part.'**

"So we're basically screwed?" Ruby asked flatly.

**'Not necessarily, Eon has no idea where they are either. And even if he did, he is still far too weak to even try searching. He can only move a little at a time. He was originally here, and I attempted to kill him when he hid in that hotel, having sensed two of the jewels already residing in the girls. I used my Scald to create enough heat to cause the fire. I just wish innocent lives weren't lost in the process.'**

"So he isn't here in the hotel?"

**'Not anymore, but we do know where he's hiding to try and regain his strength. Even going as far as using what strength he has to keep us and any humans away, through nightmares or attacks, masking them as accidents.'**

"How long before Eon regains his full strength?" Yelan asked, her stoic appearance having returned.

**'We aren't entirely sure, but he is getting stronger with passing days, so we'll need to help the three learn to better control their powers. They not only have to be immune to being harmed by their element, but learn how to absorb it and make it their own to grow stronger or heal their injuries.'**

"Bree! Cele, celebree! Cele cell," the sorcerer's Pokémon cried out, appearing eager as she chattered with the three larger Pokémon.

"Celebi?" Eli whispered, somehow understanding her.

"What's she saying?" Julien asked.

**'She's asking us to help her fight, she wants to protect her friends,'** Suicune answered as she got up, walking over to the small Pokémon, gently nuzzling her with her muzzle. **'I'm afraid that it would be far too dangerous for you, little one. However, once Eon has been stopped, I'm sure the three of us will be more than happy to assist you in friendly sparring.'**

"Bree…" the grass type whimpered, saddened she couldn't help.

However, she let out a confused chirp when feeling arms wrap around her, causing her to look up at Eli, seeing him look so distraught. The others stared as he hugged the small creature, whispering something they couldn't hear, but could see how upset he looked when speaking.

Although he couldn't hear, Tori was able to read the boy's lips enough to get an idea. _"I don't want to lose you too? Did he have another Pokémon with him before getting Celebi?"_ the teen wondered before hearing Entei speak up.

**'You three will have to come with us for now for training, the rest of you are welcome to stay and wait or return home and prepare.'**

"What about me?" Rita asked.

**'Which of you here is the strongest physically?'** Suicune asked as she look towards everyone else.

"I think it's close to a tie between Li's mother and my brother," Sakura spoke up, causing the Pokémon to turn to her.

"I can look over Rita, hopefully while training her, we may discover how to awaken her element until your return," Yelan spoke as she walked over to the young girl, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"While I may not be strongest physically, I'll do what I can to train Rita; maybe even do research regarding the elements. I might get lucky finding out where the others are and if they've been awakened as well," Eli suggested.

**'Thank you, both of you,'** the water type spoke before turning to the other three elements. **'In order to make it easier, I suggest you three climb onto our backs. We need to ensure you're safe from Eon's attacks, so we'll need to take you to proper training grounds. I suggest if you need anything, we stop at your homes to get it now than having to later. Unless Eon starts up immediately, we have several months to give you all the training you need. I can only hope it'll be enough before he starts.'**

"Wait, right now?" Tori asked, his hands gripping onto his sister's shoulders, hugging her against him, a slight tremor running through his figure.

**'I'm afraid so. I understand you're scared for your sister, but she is stronger than you may think. I've watched her exploits facing those cards. She will be safe; I will ensure it, even if it costs me, my life.'**

**'The two of us will do everything in our power to ensure our charges are safe as well. That is our purpose than mentors alone,'** Entei stated as he walked over to Meilin, the Chinese girl looking between him and the others nervously.

"Not like we have a choice," Tori growled softly as he pulled himself away from his younger sister. "Sakura, promise me that you'll be okay."

"Don't worry, I don't know why, but I trust Suicune's words. Just see if you can cover me in case Dad starts to worry too much."

"I'll try, but can't guarantee anything," the teen sighed as he ran his hand through his hair. "Just don't do anything to stupid, okay?"

"I'll do my best."

* * *

Read and Review ^_^


	6. Chapter 5

Looks like we'll get to see what everyone's up to, be it training or something else.

Sorry for the lack of updating and sadly will be so. My computer died so this chapter will be last one until I get a new machine or something. Sorry guys :(

* * *

Several weeks passed, Tori doing everything he could to cover his sister, thankful for Yelan's help whenever a call had to be made to her place regarding the girl.

During the duration, the teen worked on strategies, Kero stuck with him much to his annoyance. Whatever training Suicune and the others had in mind, the guardian couldn't come in fear of getting hurt badly. Even Yue was forbidden to come when he tried to interject, leaving the two to basically drive him nuts. The only time he ever got peace was whenever Julian took over and Kero was pigging out on snacks or playing some videogames.

How that little stuffed animal could easily eat and play games without worry amazed the teen. However, his friend did tell him that it might've been his way of coping as it was for Yue to constantly pop up or speak to the teen if unable too, bugging nonstop on Sakura's whereabouts.

They were all worried for her as well as the others, Rita most of all, as she's a target of some psychotic, mutated Pokémon. Hell, they didn't even know what the damned thing looked like, though it might not be that hard to find out.

"Hey Tori," Julian greeted, startling the other into nearly falling out off a wall he was lying on. "Still no calls?"

"No, I would've thought she'd at least call to let us know…I'm starting to get really worried," the teen sighed as he sat up, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Have faith, Yue and Kero can still sense Sakura, so in a sense, so can I, and she's still alive and safe. She's either out of range to call or Suicune really has her working to control her powers, so has no time to take a break to call."

"Even so, I would've though if she didn't call, that Li or Meilin might've at least, give us an indication on how they're doing too."

"Same thing could be going on with them. From how I'm guessing, those three were probably taken to locations that fit their element."

"So you're saying Sakura might actually be underwater?"

"Possibly, she did admit she was able to breathe under it…still a shocker since I remember saving her from drowning when Watery got loose."

"You actually remember that?"

"Yeah, and now I'm really not going to forget it knowing she basically faked drowning, kinda made me feel stupid."

"She only did it because she was scared of being seen a freak or worse, having some nutcase of a scientist or doctor have her taken away for who knows what."

"That sounds more like your fear."

"Maybe…" the raven haired teen sighed. "I wish I knew a way to help, but from how it looks…argh! How can I be so useless?"

"You're not useless, whether you actually protect Sakura or not, you've always been a huge motivator in her life. You've always looked out for her, protected her when she truly needed it, helped her grow into fine young lady."

"Even so, I just don't want to risk losing Sakura to this freak of nature. This time…this time her life is truly on the line. It isn't some test, some stupid cards pulling dangerous pranks. It's life or death and I don't know what to do!"

At this point, tears began to form in the young man's eyes, causing him to frantically wipe at his eyes, trying to hide them from the other.

Hopping down from the wall, intending on walking away, he was shocked when a hand grabbed his arm, forcing him to turn around and stare at the other. He could see his best friend looked worried, not just for his sister and her friends, but for him as well.

"Don't beat yourself up, why don't we go over to Eli and see if they know anything? Who knows, maybe Eli could tell us where exactly he got that Celebi. Maybe there's a chance there's a way to get more Pokémon to help us fight?"

"You think so?"

"Can't hurt, right? And even if we can't be taught something strong to actually fight Eon, Eli or possibly Yelan could show us some basic barrier or healing spells. It might be enough for all we know to heal or shield someone from falling debris or an attack sent our way."

"Makes some sense…alright, let's go then."

Seeing the other appearing to cheer up, even slightly, was enough to put a big smile on Julian's face.

The two were soon making their way towards the building Yelan stayed in, the two kids staying with her as well.

Before leaving, Tori left a note for his father that he was out with friends, leaving his cell number in case he needed to call him for any reason at all.

Upon reaching the estate, the silver haired teen was the first to hit the buzzer, having a servant open the door.

Leading them inside, they were eventually taken to a room where they found Yelan dressed out of her normal garb and into something suitable for a martial artist. Rita was also dressed the same, the two sparring, though the older woman was far more experienced, easily taking the child down constantly.

"Tori? Julian?" Eli piped up, surprised to see the two.

On his lap sat the small fairy, Celebi, the tiny thing munching on an apple slice, though stopped when seeing the two teenagers walking over.

"Sorry to bother you guys, but we wanted to ask you something," Julian spoke up first, the other reluctant about asking for help, a typical trait for him.

"What is it?" Yelan asked as she and Rita pausing in their training, the younger girl appearing grateful for the break by how hard she panted.

"We were hoping you could show Tori and I some spells we could try using. We really don't care what it is so long as it could have even the tiniest bit of help when the time comes for Li and the girls to fight."

"That's actually not a bad idea," Eli muttered, cupping his chin in his hand as he thought it over briefly. "Even though you can change into Yue, we don't know what Eon is capable of. He could somehow block him from appearing as well as Ruby's full power. It might not hurt to teach you two some basic spells as a precaution."

"My hands are sadly tied dealing with training Rita," the older magician spoke before the other interrupted her.

"I'll handle teaching them, focus on Rita. She still has a ways to go before she would be ready for any form of hand to hand combat," he spoke with a playful wave as he walked over to the teenagers. "Yelan has a study she set up we can use."

"Thank you so much, Eli," Julian yipped happily as he practically skipped after the boy, his friend trailing behind, giving a look at the young girl.

He could see she was trying hard, but it almost seemed as if the woman's eally pushing the kid's limit. He has enough spiritual sense so if things got out of hand, he could go to her aid.

In some ways, the young girl reminded him of Sakura, so maybe his need to protect her is his lack of not being able to protect his sister? Either way, they're going to need everyone's help as much as everyone needs theirs, he knew that much.

From there, another few weeks passed, hospitals still packed with patients, human and animal alike. Rumors spread of there being a possible quarantine happening if no signs of improvement happened soon.

Reading the newspaper, Sakura let out a sad sigh, tossing it in a nearby recycling bin, looking at the dreary sky.

Stuffing hands in her pockets, she walked down the street, aiming for the beach, taking a path that would lead her there without trouble.

Making her way, she heard laughter of children, grabbing her attention immediately, drawing her over than where she was going.

Leaning over the railing, she watched a couple of boys play some game, a dome on the ground with objects dancing around inside. She didn't recognize it right away before the toys they played with began to slow down, recognizing the shapes.

"Beyblades?" she wondered out loud, unknowingly grabbing the boys' attention, having them look up at her, surprised to see someone else here.

"Hey, wanna play a round?" one of the boys offered.

"I don't have one, sorry," she called back to them, seeing them look almost horrified at her answer.

"What kind of kid doesn't have a Beyblade?" the other boy gasped as they retrieved their toys, both running up to her. "Where do you live?"

"Readington."

"That's quite a long way you came."

"I'm visiting family, got out before the flu epidemic occurred. So for now, my family's waiting it out until people start getting better," the girl lied, hoping that they'll buy it without question.

"Talk about lucky, I'm Tao, this is my best buddy, Freddie," one boy introduced; a huge smile on his face.

"I'm Sakura," she answered with a small laugh as they shook hands.

"Hey, we should get you a Beyblade or two, they're really awesome, you won't believe how you killed boredom without one," Freddie laughed as he and Tao grabbed the girl's arms, dragging her off to a shop.

"Mr. Tate, we got a new customer for you!" Tao laughed as they dragged her inside the store.

Upon entering, the girl stared in awe at all the unique trinkets related to the toys decorated around.

"Whoa…" she murmured, wondering what she should do.

She really can't spend her money or let these guys spend theirs on her for some toy. She needs to get back to Suicune and resume training. Yet, something in this place was drawing her in, as if begging her to stay.

"I'll be out soon, I've just got a new order of Beyblades," a man's voice called out before a crash was heard followed by mutters and curses. "I'm okay!"

"So what do you know about Beyblades?" Freddie asked as the three searched through the store, looking at different models on display.

"Beyblade never really took off in my town, so I almost know nothing about them," the girl admitted, hearing one of them making a _'tsking'_ noise as if he was ashamed of her.

"Ease up, dude," Tao scolded before slapping his hand on the girl's back, starling her a bit from the gesture. "Beyblading guess you could say on a general sense, is just spinning tops. However, unlike tops, they're much more complicated. Some actually have spirits living inside them."

"Spirits?"

"Yeah, a huge amount do, any other blades out there are usually copies and rarely have another spirit that's the same to another blader's."

"So they in a sense have a personality?"

"Yeah, some are more offensive, others more defensive. Some are like their bladers and don't mind cheating by sneaking in hidden blades, others that do, again, only match their owner. Few that don't are usually those stolen or forced onto a kid by a parent or friend to use than letting them connect with their own Beyblade."

"I didn't think something that looks so innocent could be so complicated," Sakura spoke in awe.

She looked at one of the blades, a picture of a lion with a gladiator's sword in his mouth. Staring at the toy, she could almost feel energy pouring out of it, but it was threatening, as if daring her to even try purchasing and using it.

Shaking it off, she followed the others, listening to them talking more about the game. They even mentioned some of the tournaments, famous teams, one of which were reigning champions hailing from Japan.

Hearing shuffling from the back of the room, she stood straight along with the other two, seeing a man walk up front, appearing winded from whatever he was doing.

"Hi there Mr. Tate, we're trying to find a cool Beyblade for our new friend," Tao chirped happily, guiding the girl over towards the man.

"So you're new to Beyblading?" the man asked with a chuckle. "Guessing you came from a town that doesn't have much of it, huh?"

"Yeah," the girl chuckled nervously. "But I really don't know what I'd want."

"That's alright, just look around; I can even let you be the first to take a peek at the new Beyblades I just got in."

"Really?"

"Yeah, you seem like a nice kid."

"Thank you; I'm Sakura by the way."

Following the man to the back room, she could barely hold back a laugh while the other two boys burst into a fit of giggles at how messy the room looked.

Carefully, the older man helped pull out different Beyblades, some fully assembled, others in the process of being put together.

As he did so, the girl looked about, staring at different ones set up, before laying eyes on a white Beyblade, any metal parts that showed were almost platinum by how it shined. On the center top rested what she had been told is a bit chip, most of which contain a Bit Beast inside.

Staring at it, she could make out enough detail to see it looked like a woman dressed in a white kimono. Any other details on it, she couldn't see, the image far too small unless she used a magnifying glass.

"That's Yuki Hime, she's considered a collector's special. There are even some rumors she's connected to an artificial Beyblade called Wolborg," the man stated as he gave the girl on the pat on the shoulder. "I'm actually surprised to see one in my store, pretty lucky, huh?"

"She does look pretty," the girl spoke softly, mesmerized by the details on the toy.

"If you'd like, I can sell the blade to you," the man offered, startling the girl.

"But if she's rare…I don't think I have enough money to even make a purchase," the brunette prattled, standing straight up, shock written into her features.

"True, how about this, why not let you test Yuki Hime out? If I see a true bond, then I'll let you have her for free. If not, then if you still want her, you'll have to pay," the man chuckled as he pulled the Beyblade out as well as its launcher.

"But…" she started before the man guided her and the boys to the front of the store, pointing to a dish. "Just hook her up to the launcher and let it rip."

"This is so cool; we get to see a rare Beyblade in action!" Freddie practically squealed in excitement.

Still unsure, Sakura was able to attach the Beyblade to the launcher, feeling a swell of energy coming from it, knowing it was the spirit inside.

It felt like she was encouraging her to launch her, having her ready herself before pulling the cord with all her strength. Hearing the gears twist and turn, she watched as the white Beyblade launched itself into the ground, spinning with such strength.

As it traveled about the dish, a trail of frost was left behind, shocking the others, the girl most of all, while the older man stared briefly before letting out a hearty laugh.

"Guess that's Yuki Hime's way to saying she likes you to even show her power that fast and willingly," he stated between laughs, wiping his eye.

Just as he said that, the white blade launched itself out of the dish, landing into the girl's hand when she shot it out to defend herself, surprised she caught it.

"So she can just have it?" Tao asked.

"Yup."

"Are you sure? I mean…is it really a good business decision?" Sakura asked as she looked at what seems to be her new Beyblade.

"It's no problem at all; giving one Beyblade away isn't the end of my shop. I still get plenty of customers coming in for advice, purchasing parts, dishes, and what not."

"So…do Beyblades have different types, I mean she seemed really fast."

"Good eye," the man chuckled as he pulled out a couple different Beyblades, some looking alike, others completely different from the rest.

From there, he had her hold them, finding they were heavier, some not by much, others much heavier. He explained as much as he could about different types and how they work for some, while failing in regards to others.

"So what kind of Beyblade then do I have?" Sakura wondered as she looked at her new blade in awe.

"If you give me a moment, I can temporarily take it apart to check the gears; even write the model numbers down of each one including any substitutes you might need in case a particular gear isn't being made anymore."

"Sure."

She handed her Beyblade over, watching as the man carefully took it apart, careful not to scratch or bend the parts.

"This is odd," he muttered.

"What is it Mr. Tate?" Tao asked as he walked up, his friend looking around the store, appearing to be looking for parts.

"The parts are mostly for an attack based Beyblade, but these parts here are specific to increase stamina. Even parts here that are needed for some weight to keep the blade from just firing out of a stadium, they're replaced with a thin coat of rubber lining, making it difficult for another blade to attack with full strength."

"But wouldn't the frost ruin the rubber?"

"It should, looking closer…here's what's wrong, this part with the rubber on it, it isn't a correct model to fit. It was even painted to try and trick people, see; it's already starting to chip off."

"So someone tried cheating you?" Sakura gasped as she looked at the blade.

"Appears so, if you don't mind, I'd like to hold onto Yuki Hime for a few days to make sure all the parts are authentic and not cheaper crap. Should only take a few days, how long are you here for?" the man asked as he looked at the girl, appearing upset that her first Beyblade had to have been one messed with.

"I don't really know maybe another week or two."

"Do you have a cell phone?"

"Yeah," the brunette answered as she pulled out a notepad, writing her number down for him, adding her full name as well.

"Avalon? Is your father Aiden Avalon by any chance?"

"Yeah, you know him?"

"Not personally, but I remember going to a college with a guy of that name, he was a really intelligent man."

"Yeah, he's a college professor now, he specializes in archeology."

"That sounds great, my son's best friend's dad studies archeology too, but more in the history relating to Beyblades, particularly the Bit Beasts."

"I didn't Beyblades had a deeper history," the girl gasped as she listened.

"They do, it's really interesting. You know, I think I have a copy Granger wrote if you're interested."

As he talked, he shuffled through a few things before pulling out a book, handing it to the girl.

Looking at its price, she saw it wasn't too expensive, so pulled out some money, despite the other's attempts to tell her it was okay.

"Please at least let me pay for this, you've done so much already. First you gave me Yuki Hime, for free no less, and now you're even willing to repair her. It's the least I can do without feeling guilty."

Seeing he wasn't going to get her to listen, he let her pay for the book, the girl also writing down her address of her home.

"Hmm?"

"I don't know how long I'll be here, so if for some reason I'm unable to get back here to pick my Beyblade up, you can mail her to my house."

"Alright then."

Looking at the time, Sakura paled at how much had passed.

"I'm sorry, but I gotta get going, it was great meeting you guys," she cried out, bowing quickly before darting out, hoping Suicune won't be to mad at her.

"Interesting kid," the older man chuckled as he looked at the Beyblade, getting to work on fixing it up to what it should be.

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Read and Review ^_^


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